Alberta’s Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz is calling on Canadians to lobby their MPs to oppose the Liberal government’s electricity regulations, saying they’re “irresponsible and unaffordable.”
Ms. Schulz also said that federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s demands that Alberta’s electricity grid meet net zero targets for 2035 are unrealistic.
Ms. Schulz added the policies, if implemented, would mean Albertans would “almost certainly experience blackouts during the harshest times of winter and during hot summer days, and, of course, at some of the busiest times for families.”
Ms. Schulz called on Canadians to contact their MPs to “stand up for what’s right.”
“It’s really not optional,” she said. “This federal government intrusion is an unconstitutional threat and we will absolutely stand up for Albertans.” She proceeded to ask viewers to share her video.
“They will not be implemented in our province—period,” Ms. Smith said.
She added that if the federal government does not align with Alberta’s vision for the province as it relates to energy policy, the province “will chart its own path” to ensure reliable and affordable electricity for Albertans.
According to the proposed federal regulations, any unit that generates a net export of zero gigawatt hours (GWh) per year is prohibited from emitting CO2 from the combustion of fossil fuels if its annual average emission intensity is greater than 30 tonnes of CO2 per GWh of electricity produced.
The final regulations will be made public in 2024, and Mr. Guilbeault’s agency is accepting public comment until Nov. 2, 2023.
